South Asian Games in Bangladesh

German coach to help Lankan athletes

By Champika Fernando

Sri Lanka has hired former German national coach Ralph Mouchbahani to finetune Sri Lanka’s 28- member athletic contingent for this month’s South Asian Games to be held in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Sri Lanka without top-notch stars will field a relatively young and inexperienced side for the Games which will be held form January 29 to February 9.
Mouchbahani, who has a wealth of coaching experience having trained athletes in Germany, Qatar, Thailand, China and Indonesia, during his short stay will look into the training of SAG bound Sri Lanka squad.
Meanwhile, athletics officials are optimistic of winning at least nine gold medals at the 11th edition — five short of Sri Lanka’s medal tally at the 2006 Games in Colombo — but critics say that it’s a tough ask from the young side.
Sri Lanka received a sever blow to its gold medal campaign last week as high jumper Manjula Kumara Wijesekera opted out due to personal commitment and that paved the way for young Nalin Rantnasiri to take the challenge.
Sri Lanka expects gold medal in 400 meters men and women 4X100 men and women relays, 4X400 men and women relays, 1500 meter men, 100 and 200 meter men.
“It’s good to be optimistic but it should be realist as well. If we can win at least silver medal in these events, we can be proud of them,” said an analyst who wished to remain anonymous.